Phnom Penh to Saigon with Toum Tiou Cruise 6 Days

Day 1: Phnompenh - Koh Dek Chau (L, D)

07: 45 Toum Tiou is open for embarking. 08: 00 Formalities clearance. 08: 30 Toum Tiou leaves Phnom Penh for Kôh Dek Chau island. Security briefing. 11: 30 Arrival at Kôh Dek Chau island, A short break along the way, it allows to get a fascinating, close-up look at daily life in Cambodia. On the fringes of civilization, the 600 people who live on Kôh Dek Chau will receive your visit with some surprise. School children will escort you along your way. You will go through the village that occupies the full length of the island, walking along a trail shaded by date palms. 12: 30 Re-embarking, departure for Kaam Samnaar (Cambodian border). Lunch during the navigation. 16: 00 Toum Tiou arrives at Immigration check point in Kaam Samnaar. Clearance of departure formalities. 17: 30 The boat drops anchor for night on river between the borders. 19: 00 Welcome drink and info meeting about cruise, crew introduction. Welcome dinner. Overnight onboard.

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Day 2: Koh Dek Chau - Chau Doc (B, L, D)

07: 00 Opening of the immigration check point offices in Vinh Xuong - Clearance of departure formalities. Breakfast. 09.00 Departure for Chau Doc. Vietnamese Guide boards, introduces himself. Casual talk with him. 12: 30 Lunch during navigation. 13: 30 Arrival at Victoria Hotel Chau Doc jetty. Located to the north at the beginning of Mekong's famous delta, Chau Doc straddles both banks of the Mekong which fans out to the dimensions of a river mouth here. Floating fish farms have sprung up everywhere. Bamboo fish drying racks are set up a meter above the water's surface. The bourgeoning downtown area features some charmingly rustic colonial buildings, squeezed in by the marketplace - the colorful, vibrant heart of the city. As always, these busy parts of town, despite their sometimes strong odors, offer wonderful photo opportunities... 14: 30 Departure for fish raising rafts and Cham minority village by local boat. Return to the Victoria hotel for a walk to Chau Doc market. Visit of Sam Mountain which peaks at 237 meters. Its well-known Buddhist sanctuaries offer an unobstructed view over the mosaic of glistening rice paddies below. To the left is Cambodia, and the flow of the Mekong on the horizon breaks into an infinity of silver ribbons. Visit on the way of the Lady Chua Xu temple and Tay An Pagoda. 18: 30 Return to the boat after sunset. 19: 00 Dinner at the Victoria Hotel’s restaurant. Overnight onboard at the jetty of the hotel; you are free to enjoy the hotel facilities (swimming pool, billiards, bar, Internet) or stroll in Chau Doc.

Day 3: Chau Doc - Sa Dec ( B, L, D)

07: 00 Early departure for Sa Dec, breakfast during the navigation. 14: 00 After lunch, arrival at Sa Dec - Short panoramic tour of Sa Dec and transfer by bus to Trung Vuong primary school. Continuing to Kien An Cung Pagoda. Stroll around Sa Dec Market along Sa Dec River bank. This small city of 30, 000 inhabitants is fascinating in its unspoiled authenticity and undisturbed by tourists. It provides a glimpse of the delta where a few colonial houses still remain, including the "Chinaman's house" (from Duras' novel "The Lover", also made into a movie). 16: 00 Return to the boat with stopover at a nursery of flower and bonsai trees. Famous for its horticulture (it has many varieties of fabulously exotic flowers) Sa Dec was known as the "Garden of Cochin Chine" during colonial times. 17: 15 Toum Tiou leaves Sa Dec for Vinh Long. 18: 00 Dropping anchor few miles away on the way to Vinh Long. Dinner and overnight on board.

Day 4: Sa Dec - Vinh Long - Cai Be (B, L, D)

06: 30 Toum Tiou continues for Vinh Long. 07: 00 Breakfast during navigation. 08: 00 Arrival at Vinh Long, local boats pick up passengers for visiting a brick and pottery factory, the Binh Hoa Phuoc Islet Nursery of Fruit Trees as well a typical house and a show room of traditional farming tools. Vinh Long, which translates as "Majestic Dragon", is right in the middle of the delta, between two arms of the Mekong. The soil of Vinh Long is enriched by silt deposits, making it ideal for growing mandarins and other citrus fruits. Life is organized around the water. Houses on stilts, hawkers in boats, hundreds of small craft crisscross in all directions. The hospitality of the locals makes it a tourist destination par excellence. 10: 50 Departure for Cai Be Floating Market - going across the Mekong River en route. 13: 00 Toum Tiou leaves Cai Be for My Tho, lunch on board during navigation. 17: 30 Arrival at My Tho - Toum Tiou drops anchor on river in the proximity of Thoi Son Island. Local musician band embark to play traditional music for 45 minutes. 19: 30 Dinner and overnight on board.

Day 5: Cai Be - My Tho (B, L, D)

07: 00 Breakfast 08: 00 Local boats come alongside Toum Tiou to pick up passengers and transfer to the mainland. Departure for Vinh Trang Pagoda by car - Short panoramic tour of My Tho town on the way. Continuing for Dong Tam Snake Farm and My Tho Market. On the banks of a northern arm of the Mekong, My Tho, which translates as "fragrant herb", where tourists come to discover the beauty of the delta. It's a quiet, prosperous city of about 100, 000 inhabitants, famous for its many fruit orchards, gardens and the huge rice fields that surround it. The climate is warm and pleasant year round. The surrounding countryside is home to one of the most luxuriant gardens of Vietnam, with its coconut palms, banana and mango trees. 10: 45 Return at the pier- you will cruise on the river to Thoi Son Island by local boat to visit the island, explore local people’s daily life and enjoy locally seasonal fruits. 13: 00 Re-embarking the Toum Tiou that leaves My Tho for Saigon. Lunch and leisure on board. Time to pack and prepare for the arrival. 18: 00 Toum Tiou drops anchor on river en route. 19: 00 Farewell cocktail (1 glass of local liquor or juice) with Master of Ship & Cruise Manager. Captain’s farewell dinner (Enriched menu + 1 glass of wine). Overnight on board.

Trip Include:

Trip Exclude:

Transfers at departure/arrival port

Bar fees, Visas, Personal expenses and personal insurance

Cruise Information

TOUM TIOU CRUISE

Fully-paneled in wood, with charm and comfort in mind, we designed it in keeping with the local style. Modestly sized and with the safety of a steel hull, its low draft makes possible an access to the smallest and remotest of villages. With the tasteful decoration of a bygone era, the Toum Tiou has 10 cozy double cabins with private shower, a large lounge area, a panoramic viewing space to the front, a half-covered bar-restaurant to the rear and a roof patio. Air conditioning, hi-fi system and library are provided.

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The captain, ship hands, hostesses, cooks and purser are discreet and inconspicuous in the performance of their duties.

This traditional locally built boat started out as a freighter with a metal hull and a capacity of 150 tons, with two large but low-ceiling decks in order to maximize storage space. Like all ships of this type, it went up and down the Tonle Sap and Mekong, stopping at Siem Reap, Kompong Cham, Kratie and Stung Treng.

We stayed as close as we could to the original line of the ship, because we wanted to retain its slightly curved and elegant lines.

The Toum Tiou measures 38 meters long and 7 meters wide in the middle. It has 10 rooms in all (3.3m x 2.5m), 4 on the main deck and 6 on the upper deck, each air-conditioned and with a bathroom (2.5m x 1.4m) including toilet, shower and sink. The water on board is taken from the river, passed through a powerful filtration system and chlorinated in the final step of the treatment.

In order to make the best possible use of the common areas from the standpoint of both size and variety we have installed a library-reading room on the lower deck. There is also a covered space at the front of the middle deck, a restaurant to the rear anda half-covered sundeck on top.

Accommodation

Number of cabins: 10

Length: 38m

Width: 7m

Draft: 1.7m

Flag: Cambodia

Engine Power: 315CV

Speed: 9 knots

RV TOUM TIOU 2

Toum Tiou 2 is not just another river boat, it differ to others. This charismatic mekong boat has 14 cozy cabins following the colonial style of her mother, Toum Tiou. Each cabin is built with noble wood in an elegant style, has its own A/C, hot water shower, security safe and a large window for spectacular view of the nature. Public areas like a panoramic, open restaurant which is matchless on the River and a spacious sun deck also add to be facilities of the boat. Toum Tiou 2’s kitchen is famous for its variety of Asian food and smiley cooks. Toum Tiou 2’s equipment also contains a powerful filtration/chlorination system for water safety. Laundry service is also available onboard.

During cruises TTII offers full board with Asian/Western food, daily excursions, free coffee and tea and uniterrapted sailing with spectacular view of the Mekong nature.

Excursions:

Toum Tiou II is operating between Siem Reap (Angkor), Cambodia and Saigon, Vietnam. During navigation our undeniable goal is to help our passengers explore this different world with its original heritage, custom and history. Our excursions to the local villages and the cultural shows organized onboard introduce the finest traditions of these nations and this is our way to a new exploration called... Indochina.